Air bag



June l2, 1928.

H. C. RIES ET AL AIR BAG Filed May l5, 1925 2` Sheets-Sheet Snom/dow June 12, 14928. 1,672,955

H. c. RlEsV ET AL AIR BAG y Filed May 15, 192s 2 sheets-'shear 2 Patented .lime 12, 1928.

i uw'rEDr STA-'ras i y 1,612,955 PATENT f OFFICE..-

Hnmann'rc. mns AND LEE WHYMS, or roNnnU LAC, `wisconsin.` f

AIP. BAG.

i i `Applitation filed May 13, 1926. *i Serallm 108,836; i.

This invention relates to improvements in the art of, vulcanizing pneumatic `tire cas-` ings and more particularly to animproved air bag and method of constructing and re I newing theisame'. y

Ordinarilyz air bags" are so constructed that they `constitutean .integral vulcanized annularbody or unit, and after vulcanizing from` fifty to seventy-five.tires,y the entire bag is usually unfit for further use, either because `the surface thereof has become scaled. cracked, `or roughened, `or because Va considerable thickness of the bag `Wallhas become overenred,` due to `impregnation by the sulphur' in the rubber of the tires which. have been vulcanized. In fact, `when the surface ofthe ordinary bag becomes roughened even to aslight degredthe bag cannotbe employed Without theformation .of ,rough platesl in the inner surface of ythe tire vul canized by the use thereof. f In an effort to prolong the usefulness of air bags ofthe ordinary i construction, that is to say, integrally vulcanized throughout,` attempts have been made to accomplish this result `.by rasping away the outer surface` of the` bag to remove a portionwof; the bmaterial and then applyinguncured or fresh rubberto the surface and revulcanizing the bag. How-` ever,`this method of procedure has been found to be unsatisfactory for the reason that it is a tedious one and the re-vulcanized bag possesses precisely lthe disadvantages which were present- .in the original bag. This method is further, unsatisfactory for the4 reason that `the entire bag shortly `becomes overcured, dueto thewall thereof be,- comingimpregnated vvith` sulphur `from the rubber of the tires `beingr molded. ln view of the foregoing; the invention `hasfas one of its objects, to provide an air bag;r so ,constructed that when the surface thereof `develops imperfections orbecomes roughened, soy that it is no longer advisable to employ .the bag in the vulcanization of tires,y the bag maybe provided With a new surface of a character to restore the bag toits initial condition `Without the necessity of resorting to the taskv` of rasping or buiiing thedeteriorated surface of thebag as has heretofore been done. and in this connection, the invention contemplates so constructing the bag that it will possess an `investing;r integumentwvhich may be readily removed and renewed at 'a very low cost `and at the `expenditure ofibut little time andlabor.i

Anoeta-Ohta `df ai@ inventent; .to effecteconomyin the construction andQuse of air bags lby providingl a bag so constructed that it will possess a body and an investing integument which `may be readily and quick- 1y` :removed from the body,` leaving `the .body i intactand in its original `form and `condi-` tion, so that. anevv integumentmay be provided about the body, thereby producing an airbag possessing all of the qualities of a nev'bag..Y y

Another object of the invention is to evolve a novel method of constructing an air 'bag to provide the saine` with an'ijnvesting integument which maybe `conveniently removed and renewedyand which method may becarriedout expeditiously and at 10W cost and will embody `suoli steps as Willresult Vvin `an lair `bagr comprising a kbody and an .investing integumentwhich for all `purposes constitutesyan integral part with the body but isiyetj removable from the body, leaving the `surface of the bodyksmoothand unmarred.` J i Y 'Another `obj ect .of the invention isito evolve a novelmethod of resurfacingr the body of thelair bag embodying the Yinvention which method` entirely eliminates the task of rasp ing or buing the surface ofthe bag preparatory/toresurfacing.` i .y

`Another object of the invention is` tolprovide an air bagr soconstructed that it "will expand'evenly when air, water, or steam, is i introduced into the. same under' pressure preparatory to. the; `vulcanization offa tire and in which, construction the union between the body:` of the bag and. the investing integument willbe of such character that there will be no disturbance or displacement of the integument which mi ght `result in an uneven surface; 3 `Another object of the invention is to provide an air bag so constructed'that the body .thereof may be repeatedly resurfaced and the resurfacing effected in` such a manner that during -the processof vulcanization of tires, the sulphur content of the rubber of the tires willnot impregnate the body tocause overcuring and consequent hardening thereof. as is certain to occur Where the bag;` constitutes an integrally vulcanized body. i y

The invention hasfor another object to so construct the bodyof the bag that it willnot `become `weakened. as does an ordinary air y expansion. c

In the accompanying drafvin:

Figure 1 is a sect1onal rspective view illustrating the air bag em odying the invention and the .manner in which the inteinment thereof is to be removed when it comes roughened or has deteriorated to suoli an extent that it no lonerpresents a smooth surface and can, there ore, no longer be employed in vulcanizin tires.

Figure 2 is a sectional view through the bag illustrating the first step in the method of constructing the bag or resurfacing the same.

Figure 3 is a view similar to Figure 2,.1l lnstrating the second step in the construction an'dlikewise the resurfacing of the bag.

Figure 4 is a similar view illustrating the finished bag.

The bag embodying the invention comrises a body which is indicated in neral gy the reference numeral 1 and whic consists of a body wall 2 and a nose 3, the said body being of hollow annular form and of the contour to be imparted to the interior of the tire in the process of vulcanization, as is usual in bags of this't pe. The first step 1n the construction of the body consists in building up the body of uncured rubber by any of the ordinary methods, and in accordance with the principles ofthe present invention, a. fabric ply 4, preferably previously impregnated with uncured rubber, is incorporated in the uncured rubber of thebody..` When the body has been vulcanized,` its exterior surface will be smooth and the body will possess, throughout the thickness of its walls, a desirable degree of softness adapting the body to expand when a fluid under pressure is supplied to its interior in the subsequent employment of the bag as a. whole in vulcanizing tires. The purpose in view in providing the envelopin ply of fabric is to reenforce the body andz insure of equal expansion at all points, and this ply is of particular value where thebody is molded in two partsf which are subsequently spliced, the fabric being preferably applied or incor# porated after the splicing has been eected, itbeing understood that the said fabric ply will reenforce the body along the lice and particularly at any point where t e splice may be' imperfect, and will overcome any tendency of the splice rto pull apart. In inoorporating the ply in the body, the impregnated. ply may be applied about the shaped mass of uncured rubber which is to constitute the body and a thin layer of uncured rubber then applied about the ply, or the application of this thin layerwof uncured rubber may be avoided b v applying a greater quantity of uncured rubber to one side. of the fabric plv at the time of impregnating the same an when arranging the ply, so disposing the same that the Suid side will be presented outwardly.

After the body has bben sani-culed by vulcanization, the toe or bead portion 3 has applied to its outer surface any suitable cement, but no cement is appliedtnthe outer surface of the body wall 2 of the said body.

The next step in the method of producing the bag consists inA applying the outer surface of the'walls of the body a comparat-ivel Y thin layer of uncured rubber, as shown in igure 2, and which layer is indicated by the numeral 5, the layer completely enveloping' the body and being, in practice, a proximately'one-eighth of an inch in thic ness. It will be understood, of course, that the la or l 5 isvof een or raw rubber andoimimifdigi thickngs. If desired, alt ough not necessary, a further step may be ollowed which consists in applying over the outer surface ofthe layer 5 at that portion which envelops the nose?,2 a fabric strip 6 which has previously been 'im regnated with rubber, this strip being of uni orm width and extending circumferentiall ofthe inner sido of the assemblage, as clear y shown in Fig. 3 of the drawings. Finally, [the assemblage thus produced is placed within a mold and subjected to a second vulcanization or curin a duid under pressure being, ofcourse, a e

mitted into the body of the ba duringthis step. As previously explaine in formin the body of the bag, the same is subjec `to vulcanization so that itbecomes semicured, and in the final step of vulcanization, the layer 5 which constitutes the investing integument of the completed bag, is cured, but toa' less degreethanthe bodyof the bag in view of the prior semi-curing of the body. However, in this final curing step, the integument 5l vdoes not become integrally united with the surface of the body 1, but only superificially and comparatively weakly united thereto.

The bag is now in condition for use in vulcanizing tires' and it may be repeatedly employed or this purpose and, in fact, until the surface ofthe investing integument 5 becomes roughened or has deteriorated to such an extent that `further use ofthe bag in this condition is inadvisable; VIt is when the bag is in this condition that the rasping and other methods heretofore referred to have been resorted to in order to attempt resurfacing of the bag but in accordance with the principles of the present invention, this is accomplished in a radically different manner as will now be explained. y

In preparingthe bag for resurfacing, incisions 7 are made transversely at suitable intervals in the .integument 5, as shown in Figure 1 of the drawin and anincision 8 is made circumferentiully of the bag in said intogument, and the integument between these incisions 7 is' peeled or stripped from the body of Athe bag in the manner clearly shown in the said 'gune, until the llU entire integument has been removed. In makingr the incisions, care is taken to avoid cutting into the surface of the body of the bag. Due to the fact that the integument is not integrally vulcanized to the body of the bag. the strip-like portions thereof may i be readily peeled from the said body. However. the adhesion of the intefrumentto the surface of the body. during the life of the integument, is sutliciently secure to prevent any displacement of the integument or distortion thereof when the bag: is employed in vulcanizing tires. and yet when thein? tegument is to be stripped from the body of the bag. lno difficulty will be experienced in accomplishing this and the task may be performed in a short period of time. After the entire worn integument has been removed, a fresh layer of rubber in the green state is applied to the surface of thc body to envelop the same. as in the process of original` ly producing the bag.

In practice, it has been found that `a bag constructed in accordance with the invention may be employed in approximately fifty vulcanizations before it becomes necessary to resurface the body of the same. and it will be evident that the body may be resur` faced a considerable number of times, thus lgreatly prolongingr the life of the bag as compared with that of an ordinary bag.

It will beievident from the foregoing that. great economy is etl'ected by the employment of the air bag' cnibor'lyiupr the inventionand that due to the minimum labor. time and expense involved in resurfacing the body vof the bag, a manufacturer employing the bag in the vulcanization ot tires. is enabled to put out tires of a better quality at a lower costthan a manufacturer who employs the ordinary air bags. inasmuch as due to the fact that when an ordinary air hanr becomes rough or has deteriorated. it must be entire-` ly discarded and.` therefore. the tendency is for a manufactluer'employingr the same to extend the usc of such baas beyond their period of actualusefulness in order to effect economy in manufacture. notwithstanding the fact that the tires which he produces will be somewhat defective.

It will. also be evident from the toregfoiner description of the invention. that the body of the air bag is not liable to become over-vulcanized or o-vercuredfor the reason that the investmentor surface layer 5 thereof is repeatedly renewed and the several investing iuteguments or layers,.when applied. will take up the sulphur content of the rubber of the tires being vulcanized, thus preventthere is a distinct advantage in locating the fabric ply inwardly of the outer surface of the body of the bag, in view of the fact that, whilethe ply reenforces the said body in a uniform manner, nevertheless, `it does not come in. contact with the removable in te-gument, which would be the case if it were located at the outer surface of the said body and which would result in amore rapid deterioration of the cords of the fabric and,

likewisevnot provide for a. surface union of the investing integument and the body. On the other hand, by locating the fabric ply inthe manner stated. the body of the bag has a smooth outer surface of rubber to which the investing integument uniformly adheres.

In removing the integument the width of the strip-like portions or,'in other words,

the distance between the incisions 7 which are made in the integument, will depend upon the thickness of the integument and the extent to which it has deteriorated. If found desirable, a gentle heat may be applied to the bag at the time of stripping or peeling the integument therefrom in order to lessen the adhesion of the integument to the surface of the body of the bag.

It will furthermore be evident from the foregoingdescription of the invention, that the principles thereof are not restricted to the employment of any particular construction of bag body so long as the' body has a smooth exterior surface of rubber, and. therefore, any number of the fabric plies might be incorporated in the body and, of course. the contour of the body may be vay.ried in accordance with the contour of the tires to be vulcanized.

Havingr thus described the invention, what HERBERT o; RIEs. [ne] LEE WHYMs. [ne] 

